Electrical fuse-spitter.



l. B. SAUVE & E. BERNARDI. ELECTRICAL FUSE SPITTER. APPLIOATION FILEDFEB. 19, 1908,

913,56. y Patented Feb.23,1909.

wwNEssEs INVENToRs JOHN BSUVE AND FRANK BERNARDI, OF MOKELUMNE HILL,CALIFORNIA..

ELECTRICAL FUSE-SPITTER l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.A

Application filed February 19, 1908. Serial No. 416,744.

To all whomy it may concern.'

Be it known that we, JOHN B. Sauvn and FRANK BERNARDI, both citizensofthe United States, residing at Mokelumne vHill, in the county ofCalaveras and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Electrical Fuse-Spitters, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to a means for spitting fuses electrically.

ln mining and blasting operations it is common to put in one or moreblasts, attach a fuse, and light this fuse bymeans of a candle or match,the miner then having to hasten to some point of safety before the blastgoes 0H. The lighting of the fuse in this manner.

is called spitting the fuse. The fuse must always be long enough so aste enable the man to get out of danger. For example, in mining, if aseries of blasts are to be set oil in the bottom of the' shaft, it isnecessary, after lighting or spitting the fuses, for the miner orminersto embark in the cage, and signal Alvi those above to hoist If' anythinggoes Wrong with the hoist or with the cage, the Workmen in the cage arelikely to be killed, and frequent casualties have resulted in thismanner.

Our purpose is t'o pravide a simple form of electrical connection forthevfuse, which will enable the miner leisurely te proceed to a place ofsafety, and when everything is in readiness touch oil the blast or anynumber of blasts, either simultaneously or in succe sion, by simplypressing a .button The invention consists of the parts and theconstruction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fullydescribedand claimed,

having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is alongitudinal section of the device.l v Fig. 2 is a similar view of amodified form.

A represents a little tube or cap of suitable size and material;Preferably it is made of sheet-metal, and is just big enough to slipover the end of an ordinary blasting fuse. This cap or tube section isadapted to be slipped on to the fuse, and crimped or clam )ed ltheretoby means of pliers .0r other suita le means. This cap is provided withsuitable means for igniting the fuse, either by thc formation of anarcor spark, as shown 1n Fig. 2, or by heating il. suitable' resistancemedium, suitably seured in the cap, to inl candescence, as shown inFig. 1. The latter form of vconstruction is preferable.

ll'here ignition of the fuse is caused by heating the resistancetoincandesence, we

preferably of German silver, becauseoiv its high resistance and thiswire is looped on secured therein, and preferably insulated from thetube by any suitable means, as a of the Wire which is looped Withinlthecap, and which part is designed to come in con- .is bare. The portionsof the wire external to the cap may be insulated, and these free endevUsually we do not make them over a few inches in length, since they areto connect with the main conductors 7-8 which lead to the switch 9,which latter "may be at any suitable point safely removed from where.'the lblasting is to take place. The plug 4 has a vent-hole 10 to permitthe smoke and gases, which are formed when the fuse is first ignited, toescape. ln practice, We have found that without this vent, the cap wouldbe blown o'll the end of the fuse, and thereby the fuse would sometimesbe put out. Other material than sulfur might be used, but we have foundthis to work very well in practice.

v Where it is necessary to Work in damp places, or Where there is moreor less drip, or where it may be necessary to spit the fuse under water,the little vent l0 may be temwill exclude the water, but as soon as thefuse is lighted will bc blown out to open the vent.

The end of the tube A, where the insulatcorrugated, or otherwiseconstructed so-as to form such a union with the insulation 4 that thelatter will not be easily pulled or blown out.

wires 2 in place is slipped over a fuse after the blast charge has beenp ut in, and the tube securely crimped to the fuse. The terminals employa suitable length of fine Wire 2, Fig. 1,

perforated plug 4 of sulfur. The portion 5 porarily plugged with greaseor tallow, which ing material or composition 4 is inserted, is

ln practice, a cap A having its conducting 1 itself and-inserted intothe cap or tube A and tact with the iniiammable end of the fuse 6,

of the wire may be of any suitable length. A

2 are then connected With the circuit Wires exploded simultaneously, thefuse for each blast is similarly e uipped with a cap andthe terminalsattached to the conductors 7 8; all the fuses being of the same length,so it will take each fuse the same length of time t0 7S. lf there are anumber of blasts to be' -llC burn down to the powder. 'l' it is desiredto send oii a number of blastsin' succession, it is only necessary tocut the fuses in different lengthsi and the intervals between thedifferent blasts will be regulated by the difference in time that `ittakes the several fuses to burn. By simply )ressing the button, orclosing the switch 9, a l the fuses will be s )itted simultaneously; butthe diiference o' time between the actual going oil' of the blasts willbe determined as above denoted.

in Fig. 2, is shown a modification in which the spitting is done by theformation of an are between the twoterminals 2 within the cap, similarlyas in a ump spark igniting device; the air gap forming thc resistanceand corresponding to the bared loop portion 5 of Having thus describedour invention, what we elailn and desire to secure by Letters Patentisl. A fuse-spitting device consisting of a tubular cap adapted to iitover the end of a fuse, a plug closing one end ofthe tube, said plugbeing provided with/a vent, and conducting wires passing through theplug and into the cap to a point contiguous to the fuse,

1 ,l l l I and adapted te ignite the fuse on the passage of a currentthrough said wires.

2. A fuse s itting device consisting of a tubular cap adipted to fit afuse, a solid plug of sulfur closing one end of said cap and having avent opening through it, and oonducting wires passing through the sulfurplug to a point adjacent to the fuse and adapted to ignite the fuse onthe passage of a current through said wires.

3. In a fuse spitting device, the combination of'a tubular cap, a solidplug of insulats ing material fixed within one end of the ca said plughaving an opening longitudinally through it for venting the caprearwardly, and said opening normally closed by a substance which willbe blown out when the fuse is lightedI to open the vent, and conductingwires passing through the plug 'to a point adjacent to the fuse andadapted to ignite the latter on the passage of a current through saidwires. f

In. testimony whereof we have hereunto setour hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

- JOHN n. SAUVE. ,f FRANK BERNARDI.

Wlitnesses:

CHARLES A. Bernau), S. H. NoUnsn.

